This invention was the subject matter of Document Disclosure Program No. 189437 which was received in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Mar. 28, 1988.
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,586,675; 4,261,529; 4,177,961 and 3,907,236 the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse constructions designed to assist in the manual winding of rope, electrical cord, or the like.
While all of the prior art constructions are more than adequate for the purpose and function for which they were specifically designed, they do suffer from a number of shared deficiencies.
For instance, all of the prior art devices prohibit the removal of the wound cord as a unit. In general, the cord, once wound, may only be removed loop by loop; and, cannot be removed as a bundle. This situation is unfortunate because each separate extension cord or rope which needs to be wound requires its own separate winder construction.
In addition, the odd structures which comprise most of the prior art devices require awkward and unnatural movement on the part of the user as he winds a rope or extension cord onto the device. None of these constructions simulate the natural hand over elbow movement with which most users are inclined to be familiar.
Obviously, there has been a longstanding need for an extension cord winding and retention device which incorporates the features of economical application and natural coordination; and the provision of such is the stated purpose and function of the present invention.